| Weekend X Up North - Jack's Tale | |
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After having nearly all summer to prepare, I still had some last minute things that had to be done. At first I had thought about taking my regular bass boat but after both Doug and Bill agreed to go I figured it would be too small so I decided that if I could find some kind of motor I would take another of the 4 or 5 boats I have collected around here. It needed some work to be ready for fishing as well as a motor. Luckily, Beertrucker said he had a motor I could use so that problem was solved.
Then with about 4 weeks to go I had to have surgery on my knee and that laid me up for nearly two weeks. With about two weeks left I finally got started getting things ready. Then for over a week it rained every day keeping me from finishing on the boat. Finally with about 6 days to go I got some nice weather and got things pretty well organized (for me that is).
I got the trolling motor hooked up and found that it would only work on high speed so that is the way it had to be. We either stayed in one position or whizzed around to a new one always overshooting. I am sure that big trolling motor going full blast kept us from catching some fish at times. I didn't get the truck until Thursday morning and I had to wire it for the trailer lights and find a way to cover the bed in case of rain (and we ran into that in plenty on the way up) Finally about ll:30 Thursday night I had most everything loaded and ready to go.
By that time I had had only about 4 hours sleep in the previous 24. but I headed out for Kentucky to pick up Bill. About the Tenn. Ky. line with still 150 or more miles to go to Bills I was beginning to wonder is this trip really a good idea. Finally I found a place to pull off and slept for about 11/2 hours and started again. I made it to Bill's around 6PM.
We went out to a Chinese place that had crab legs (one of my favorites) and I pigged out then back to Bill's and some sleep. I think we left Bills about 9am and drove across Indiana in a heavy rain but got out of it just before getting to Ill. We ate ribs at Doug's with his daughter and my niece who came up from Central Ill. just to see Bill and me.
After a good nights sleep off we went for Taylor's Alpine Lodge. I had been through western Wisc. before but a short way north of Madison we had always turned west before. This time we continued straight up U.S.51 and I39. I mention US 51 because I was raised in a town that straddled that route some 350 or so miles south and had ridden the two miles from town on my bicycle to Flat Branch many times as a kid along 51.
Finally we reached Minocqua, another coincidence. That hometown on 51 is named Moweaqua. I had never heard of a town name ending in "qua" before and now there are suddenly three since Beertrucer is from Veroqua, Wi.
It was pouring rain as we went to the grocery store in Minocqua, not a good looking start to a week of fishing. We had heard that there had been rain most of the week before too. By the time we got out of the store the sun was shining and things looked better.
We arrived at the Alpine Lodge about 4pm cdt. and the place looked deserted but we went to the door that said office and Kim and Tim were there to show us the lodge. When we walked in we were astonished. I had stayed at fishing/hunting resorts before and most of them had beat up linoleum floors, an old gas stove and looked like they had been cleaned 3 clients ago. This one was plush. Carpeted floors well cleaned, new electric stove, new Refrig-freezer, new washer and dryer, a well furnished kitchen, large dining area and a lovely sitting room with fireplace and plenty of chairs and couches.
There were two full baths , one bedroom had a double bed, one a queen and the other two four singles. It was nicer than lot of Motels that I have stayed in costing $50 per night. I did not see the other quarters on the grounds. I don't know if they were as nice as ours or not but my guess is that they are.
Well everybody had gone fishing so we picked a bed that wasn't taken and got our stuff out of the truck and settled in for some rest before fishing next morning.
Next page > Part 2 - The Week Begins > Page 1, 2, 3
